Switch mechanism for railway rack-rails.



PATENTED APR. 1a, 1905.

' UNITED STATES` atented pril 1.8, 190.5.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. SESSIONS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE JEFFREY MANUFACTURING OF OHIO.

COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION SWITCH vNIECHANISWI FOR RAILWAY HACK-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,590, dated April 18, 1905.

' Application led January 4, 1905*. Serial No. 239,628. Y

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK LISESSIONS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Switch Mechanism for Railway Rack-Rails, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in the railway-track structures of the sort in which use is made of a traction-rack adapted to operate in conjunction with one or more toothed traction-wheels on each locomotive that moves along said tracks.

It relates more particularly to improvements in the parts of such structures which are located at switching-points-that is to say, at the points where it is desirable to cause or permit the locomotive to pass from one line of travel to another line.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a sufcient part of a railway structure of this class to illustrate the manner of applying thereto parts embodying my improvements.

Figure l is a plan view showing sections of the main track of a railway system and also a portion of a branch track or switch-line, in this view the parts constituting the rack element being shown in their normal working position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing in dotted lines the movable or adjustable part of the rack element thrown into its inactive position. Fig. 3 is a section on the line XX of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the lineY Y of Figzl. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 6 is a section are adapted to support the flanged Wheels of locomotives and vehicles.

C C are the branch-track rails, which are adapted to receive the locomotive and cars when they Aare shunted from the main track.

D D' are the switch-point sections, that at D being the one which when in operative position connects up the main-track sections and that at D being the one which causes the wheels of the locomotive or cars to turn toward the branch track C C. These are pivoted at cZ eZ and are connected by a cross connecting-bar E.

The parts so far referred to are or may be substantially the same as those used in ordinary railway structures at the switchingpoints. With them there is combined the rack-rail structure having the main-track sections at G G', an intermediate stationary section G2 alining with those at G G. a second intermediate stationary section at Gi, a switching-section at G4, and a movable section G5.

The rack-sections at G .G are preferably constructed and supported in the way shown; but they may be constructed in any of the numerous now well-known ways. As illustrated, they comprise sheet-metal sections L, having sprocket-apertures Z Z therethrough and supported upon stringers g g/, which run longitudinally of the track and parallel to the rails B B and are in turn supported upon the sills M M, which rest upon the track-ties. The section G2 is or may be substantially similar, although considerably shorter than any of the main-track sections, as at G G. i

The section at G3, comprises a wide plate g,

which at its edges rests upon the stringers g'.

It is formed with elongated rack-aperturesor sprocket-apertures g2 of such length as to permit the driving sprocket-wheels on the locomotive to either follow the line of the racksections G' G2 or to follow a curved line from the section G' to that at G4, or instead of elongated apertures g2 two series of apertures, as

with a series of teeth or ribs g5, which gradually decrease in height from the section G3 outward in the direction of the branch track.

I/Vhen the sprocket-wheel of the locomotive approaches this section, it is enabled to readily accommodate itself and to take the proper pitch relationship to the rack-sections at G3 G', toward which it is moving, as its teeth, one or the other, sooner or later will pick up one of the teeth or ribs g2, and thereafter the proper pitch relation is established.

The rack-section G5 is ordinarily movable around a horizontal axis. It comprises the stringers g" g2 and the sheet-metal rack-section Z2, which projects at either end beyond the ends of the said stringers. The top horizontal plane of the rack structure is considerably above the horizon tal plane of the treads of the main-track wheels B B' and the switch or branch-track rails C C'. This rack-section G" normally lies above the branch rails C C' and would interfere with the movement of the locomotive and cars toward or from-the branch.

N is a bracket secured in position between the sections G and G5. It has the vertical plates N', between which the adjacent end of the rack-section Z2 is adapted to swing, O being a hinge-block secured to the said extended end of the rack-section Z2 and also to the adjacent end ofthe stringers g2. H is a hingerod pivotally connecting the said hinge-block to the bracket N. v

When it is desired to move a locomotive or car from the main track to the branch track, it is merely necessary to lift up and swing backward this section Its parts are so constructed and related that it is automatically stopped and held in a position of inclination, as illustrated.

At the front end of the swinging rack-section I provide means for insu ring the alinement of the said section with the adjacent section G2-and also for preventing the lateral displacement of the said section. For illustration I have shown a bracket P, rigidly secured to the sills M M at points between the rack-sections G2 G", this bracket having an aperture therethrough which is in alinement with and practically of the same width as the apertures in the adjacent sheet-metal racksections.

R is a guiding and retaining clip or saddle secured to the forward projecting end of the sheet-metal rack-section Z2, the side walls of this clip being arranged to fit over the bracket P and to engage with the side walls thereof to prevent the lateral play of the section G2. The side walls of this saddle B may be flared somewhat, so as to insure that the saddle will be properly directed over the said bracket as This I accomplish by means of a pitman or connecting-rod I, which is pivotally connected with a crank at t' on the hinged rod H and also pivotally connected to one arm of the bell-lever J, the other arm being pivotally connected at y' to the cross-bar E, which connects the switch-points.

If the motorman or engineer desires to pass from the main track to the branch track, he throws the switch-section G5 vertically upward and backward, so as to clear the rail C'. This, through the pitman I, throws the switchpoints D D' in such way as to properly connect up the branch track with the main rails B B'. If he is going from the branch track C to the main track and desires to reach the rails at B B, after taking the car or train from the rails C to those at B', he throws the vertically-swinging track-.section G" down into line with the main rack and thereafter moves across the switching parts to the rails B B.

Accidental derailment is prevented. Should a car or train be advancing on the track B B torward the switch-point while the rack-section G is in its open position, the forward end of the locomotive or of the front car will impinge upon the section G2 as it stands elevated and push it forward until it drops into its working position, and this causes the switch-points D D' to automatically connect up the main-track rails B B', and the locomotive or car assumed to be advancing will pass safely over. On the other hand, if a car should approach the switching-place from the opposite direction--that is` over the rails B' B-when the rack-section G2 is in its elevated position such car will not be derailed, but will turn onto the branch C, thus indicating to the operator that the rack-switch is l open. The importance of these points will be appreciated when it is remembered that the present invention is intended for use mainly in mines where electric-locomotive haulage is practiced and Where from the darkness in the entries or passage-ways the motorman may fail to observe that the rackswitch is in the open position.

To properly dispose of the pitman or connecting-rod I, small recesses, as at z", can be formed in the main sleepers A', and in the sleeper A2 a suitable recess can be formed to receive the bell-lever J.

As the present track structure is designed for use with a locomotive which can be propelled on an ordinary track without a rack mechanism when it is desired to do so, the branch track at C C is not provided with rack-sections. As soon as the locomotive reaches and rests upon the rails at C C it is propelled by the ordinary ianged trackwheels.

I am aware of the fact that it has been proposed, as in the patent to E. Strub, No. 600,324, to employ at the switching-places of a rack railway structure horizontally-adjustable rack-sections and that it has also been proposed (as by the same engineer in the Organ fr cZ/e Fortschritte des Ez'senbfolmwesns, Tafel XX) to combine with such horizontallysliding rack-sections at a switch a connecting mechanism joining the horizontally-sliding rack-switch to the horizontally-sliding switch-points of the main-track rails, so that there shall be simultaneous movement of the two elements, and because of such earlier propositions I do not claim, broadly, the cornbination of track-rails having movable switchpoints, fixed traction-rails between the trackrails, a movable section or traction-rail, and means for simultaneously moving said movable section of the switching-points; but I believe myself to be the rst to have arranged the movable rack-section in such a way that it can swing directly upward and over from the vertical planes or' the Xed track-rail to permit the passage ot' a car and also the first to have so connected a movable rack-section to the switch-points that when the rack-section is out of its normal position it is adapted to be impinged upon by an advancing vehicle and be thereby thrown to its active or normal position and to simultaneously throw the switch-points to the position where the said rack-section can cooperate with the Vehicle and thelatter be prevented from derailment.

W'hat l claim is- I. In a railway structure of the class described, the combination with the main-track rails and the branch-track rails, having fixed track-sections between the main-track rails, of a traction-rack having Xed main-track sections, and a vertically-swinging rack-section adapted to be thrown to and from its normal or active position by swinging it in vertical planes transverse to the said fixed intermediate rail-section.

2. In a railway structure of the class described, the combination of the main-track rails and branch-track rails, having an intermediate branch section between the lines of v the main-track rails, a traction-rack having main sections parallel lto the main-track sections, and a movable section normally alining with the main-track sections, while lying over and transverse to said intermediate branchtrack sections, and adapted to swing in vertical planes around a horizontal axis and to be supported in an elevated position in the path of a vehicle on the main track whereby it is adapted to be thrown by said vehicle into its active or normal position, substantially as set forth.

3. In a railway structure of the class described, the combination of the main-track rails, the branch-track rails, and the adjustable switch-points of the traction-rack, having the main stationary sections parallel to the main-track rails, the intermediate fixed section G2 alined with the main rack-sections; the triangular or tapering rack-section G3, and the stationary rack-section Gr4 having a series of rack teeth or projections gradually varying in height; substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK L. SESSIONS. 

